Learn how to enable and quickly set up DNS over HTTPS (DoH) in Windows 11 to encrypt DNS queries and responses.
Whenever your computer tries to connect to a website, it sends a DNS query to a DNS server to get its real IP address. Generally, this DNS query and the response from the DNS server are unencrypted. That means, anyone on the network, including but not limited to your ISP (Internet Service Provider), other PCs on the same local network, a network administrator, etc., can see and even intercept the request. As you can imagine, this is a big security and privacy issue.
Thankfully, on Windows 11, you can enable and set up DNS over HTTPS (DoH) to encrypt the DNS queries and responses. That way, no one can see or intercept those requests. In this quick and easy guide, I will show the steps to enable DNS over HTTPS (DoH) and configure it in a simple way. Let’s get started.
Before You Start
- On Windows 11, you can only enable and configure DNS over HTTPS on a per-network profile (for WiFi) and per-adapter (for Ethernet) basis. There is no simple global option that applies to all network profiles and adapters. If you use multiple network profiles and adapters (such as Wi-Fi and Ethernet), you must configure them separately.
- This guide shows how to enable and set up DNS over HTTPS on your current network (the network you are connected to right now).
- To enable DNS over HTTPS (DoH), you must first use a DNS server that supports the feature. Here are some of the most recommended public DNS providers:
- Cloudflare: 1.1.1.1 and 1.0.0.1
- Google Public DNS: 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4
- Quad9: 9.9.9.9 and 149.112.112.112
Steps to Enable DNS over HTTPS (DoH) in Windows 11
- Open Settings by pressing the “Windows key + I” shortcut.
- Go to the “Network & internet” on the sidebar.
- Click the “Properties” option on the right page.
- Click “Edit” in the “DNS server assignment” section.
- Select “Manual” from the first dropdown menu.
- Turn ON the “IPv4” toggle.
- Enter the DNS server address in the “Preferred DNS” field.
- Select “On (automatic template)” from the “DNS over HTTPS” dropdown.
- Enter the second DNS server address in the “Alternate DNS” field.
- Select “On (automatic template)” from the “DNS over HTTPS” dropdown.
- Configure IPv6 in the same way, if needed.
- Click “Save“.
- With that, you’ve enabled and configured DNS over HTTPS in Windows 11.
Detailed Steps (With Screenshots)
First, open the Settings app by pressing the “Windows key + I” shortcut. Once it opens, go to the “Network & Internet” tab on the sidebar and then click the “Properties” option at the top of the right page.
On this page, click the “Edit” button next to “DNS Server Assignment“. This option allows you to turn on DNS over HTTPS.
Now, select “Manual” from the first dropdown menu. After that, turn ON the “IPv4” option.
Next, enter the primary DNS address of your choice in the “Preferred DNS” field. Below are the primary addresses for popular public DNS servers that support DNS over HTTPS.
- Cloudflare DNS: 1.1.1.1
- Google Public DNS: 8.8.8.8
- Quad9: 9.9.9.9
Select the “On (automatic template)” from the “DNS over HTTPS” dropdown menu.
Next, enter the second DNS address in the “Alternate DNS” field. Below are the alternate addresses for popular public DNS servers that support DNS over HTTPS.
- Cloudflare DNS: 1.0.0.1
- Google Public DNS: 8.8.4.4
- Quad9: 149.112.112.112
Select the “On (automatic template)” from the “DNS over HTTPS” dropdown menu.
If you are using IPv6, turn ON the “IPv6” toggle and configure the options in the same way as shown above. Don’t forget to use the IPv6 addresses of your preferred DNS service. Below are the IPv6 addresses of the popular public DNS services.
- Cloudflare DNS: 2606:4700:4700::1111 and 2606:4700:4700::1001
- Google Public DNS: 2001:4860:4860::8888 and 2001:4860:4860::8844
- Quad9: 2620:fe::fe and 2620:fe::9
Finally, click the “Save” button to apply the DNS over HTTPS settings. While not necessary, I recommend restarting your computer to ensure the changes we just made are correctly applied.
That is it. With that, you’ve enabled and configured DNS over HTTPS in Windows 11.
If necessary, you can verify this by visiting the following page. If you’ve configured it properly, you will see “Yes” next to the “Using DNS over HTTPS (DoH)” heading.
From now on, all DNS queries from your system and DNS responses from the DNS server are encrypted. That means no one can snoop, see, or intercept your DNS requests.
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If you want to learn more about what DNS is, how it works, and why you need it, Cloudflare has a great article that explains it in a clear and detailed manner. Do read it. If you have any questions or need help, comment below. I’ll be happy to assist.
Good to know: How to Enable DNS over HTTPS in Chrome, Edge, and Firefox
Update: This tutorial has been updated to reflect the changes in newer versions of Windows 11.
